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Food trucks · 50 states + DCFood truck permits by state
Short answer
A food truck needs a mobile food unit permit from the state or local health department, which usually follows a plan review and inspection and requires a commissary. Add a sales tax registration, often a fire inspection, and city vending or business licenses. Fees and timelines vary by state and city; pick your state.
Last checked November 15, 2026. Rules change; confirm with your health department before you buy or build a truck.
| State | Who licenses | Commissary | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State and local | Required | Varies by county and city. |
| Alaska | State | Varies | About $430 in the first year for a standard mobile food service ($215 permit plus $215 plan review), before any local business license or borough fees. |
| Arizona | State and local | Required | In Maricopa County, roughly $590 to $910 in the first year for the health license and plan review ($290–$610 annual plus $300–$306 plan review), plus TPT and any city licenses. |
| Arkansas | State | Varies | About $85 to $535 in the first year for state health approvals ($35 permit plus a $50–$500 plan review), before city permits. |
| California | County or city | Required | Varies by county; in Los Angeles County the first-year health permit and plan check run about $869 to $1,502. |
| Colorado | State and local | Required | In CDPHE-licensed counties, about $648 to $1,216 in the first year for 2026 (license $338–$481 plus $155 application fee and up to $580 review), before sales tax and city permits. |
| Connecticut | County or city | Varies | Varies by town and health district. |
| Delaware | State | Required | About $150 to $200 for state health approvals in the first year ($100 permit plus $50–$100 plan review), plus any town permits. |
| District of Columbia | State | Required | Using DLCP's fee page, about $500 to start ($100 health certificate, $99 vending license, $300 site permit) before badges, propane and tax steps; DLCP's FAQ lists higher license and site permit amounts. |
| Florida | State | Varies | $397 for the first full year ($347 license plus $50 application fee), with no local license fees allowed under state law. |
| Georgia | State and local | Required | Varies by county; in Fulton County, plan review for a base and unit runs $450–$750 by risk type, with an annual inspection fee in the same range. |
| Hawaii | State | Required | About $320 to $520 in the first year for most trucks ($100–$300 permit plus $200 plan review plus the $20 GET license), before county approvals. |
| Idaho | County or city | Required | About $180 to $200 in the first year for the district license and plan review, before city licenses. |
| Illinois | County or city | Varies | Varies by county and city; Chicago's mobile food license alone costs $700 or $1,000 for two years. |
| Indiana | State and local | Varies | Up to $200 per county per year through 2026; from 2027, $450 per year for a license valid statewide, plus the $25 retail merchant certificate. |
| Iowa | State | Required | $250 per year for the state license, plus any city vending licenses. |
| Kansas | State | Varies | $465 to $550 in the first year for the KDA license, then $190 to $250 a year, plus city licenses. |
| Kentucky | State and local | Varies | $200/year for the statewide permit plus a local plan review fee (about $25-$150 in the counties checked), before city fees. |
| Louisiana | State and local | Required | In New Orleans, first-year city and state fees total $855.25 per the city's 2025 checklist; elsewhere it varies by parish and city. |
| Maine | State | Varies | $270/year for the mobile license, or $370/year with a mobile base kitchen license, before municipal fees. |
| Maryland | County or city | Varies | Varies by county and city; reciprocity licenses in additional counties are capped at $300/year each. |
| Massachusetts | County or city | Varies | Varies by municipality; Boston alone charges a $500 annual application fee plus a $100 health permit and a fire inspection fee. |
| Michigan | State and local | Varies | Varies by county; in Detroit, a new mobile preparation unit pays $743 plan review plus a $498 annual license. |
| Minnesota | State and local | Varies | For an MDH-licensed unit, about $1,205 in the first year ($700 plan review, $300 base, $150 unit fee, $50 hospitality fee, $5 technology fee), before city fees. |
| Mississippi | State | Required | $264.25 to $488.75 in MSDH fees for the first year ($224.25 plan review plus a $40-$264.50 permit), before city fees. |
| Missouri | County or city | Varies | Varies by county and city. |
| Montana | State and local | Varies | $150-$225/year for the state mobile license plus the county plan review fee. |
| Nebraska | State and local | Varies | Up to $183 in state fees for the first year ($122 initial plus $61 annual), before local fees. |
| Nevada | State and local | Required | In Clark County, $993 in health district fees for a new mobile food service unit ($658 plan review plus $335 annual permit), before city and state business licenses. |
| New Hampshire | State and local | Varies | $150-$225/year for the state license; self-inspecting cities charge their own fees. |
| New Jersey | County or city | Required | Varies by municipality. |
| New Mexico | State and local | Varies | $200/year for the NMED mobile permit plus plan review (from $300); Albuquerque charges $120 for a first-year mobile unit permit. |
| New York | County or city | Varies | In NYC, $250 in city fees for a prepared-food permit and one vendor license over two years, plus $53 for the course; elsewhere it varies by county. |
| North Carolina | State and local | Required | $120/year state permit fee plus up to $250 for county plan review, before city and fire fees. |
| North Dakota | State and local | Varies | Varies by licensing agency; the state fee schedule lists $230 for a mobile food unit, plus plan review where required. |
| Ohio | County or city | Varies | Varies by health district; Cleveland charges $228 to $428 for a mobile license, plus plan review and the $25 transient vendor application. |
| Oklahoma | State and local | Not required statewide | About $575 in state fees for a new cooking truck ($425 OSDH license plus the $150 Fire Marshal permit), plus plan review and any local permit. |
| Oregon | County or city | Varies | Varies by county; in Multnomah County a new Class I-III unit pays $790 plan review plus a $760 license (2026). |
| Pennsylvania | State and local | Required | In PDA jurisdictions the license is $103 to $241 for a new unit and $82 to renew; county and city programs charge their own fees. |
| Rhode Island | State | Varies | About $150 to $200 in state fees for a new truck ($100 RIDOH license, plan review fee, and $50 DBR registration), plus the fire inspection and any municipal fee. |
| South Carolina | State | Required | At least $200 for a new SCDA permit ($100 initial fee plus at least $100 annual inspection fee), plus city or county business licenses. |
| South Dakota | State | Required | Roughly $88 a year for the state license, plus city licenses such as Sioux Falls' $75. |
| Tennessee | State and local | Varies | Varies by county and city; the state food service permit for a unit with 0-50 seats is $210 a year. |
| Texas | State | Required | State license fees run from $309 (Type I) to $1,376 (Type III with pre-licensing inspection), before city fire permits and other local fees. |
| Utah | County or city | Required | Varies by county; in Salt Lake County a new truck pays $755 plan review plus a $275 to $770 permit depending on risk level. |
| Vermont | State | Varies | $260 a year for the state mobile unit license, plus any prep kitchen license and town permits. |
| Virginia | State and local | Varies | $80 in VDH fees ($40 plan review plus $40 permit), plus local business, fire and tax registrations. |
| Washington | State and local | Varies | Varies by county; in King County a new unit pays plan review plus a $630 to $1,260 annual permit, on top of the $55.10 L&I insignia. |
| West Virginia | County or city | Varies | Varies by county and city. |
| Wisconsin | State and local | Required | In DATCP jurisdictions a new mobile unit pays $235 to $1,310 in license plus pre-inspection fees, depending on complexity, before base and local fees; agent counties and cities set their own. |
| Wyoming | State and local | Varies | $200 for a new state food license and $100 a year after, plus any local health and city fees. |
Selling at markets without a truck? See cottage food laws by state and selling hot food at events.
FAQ
Common questions
What permits do I need for a food truck?
Almost everywhere: a mobile food unit permit or license from the state or local health department, a plan review of the truck before that permit, a commissary agreement in most places, a sales tax registration, and often a fire inspection and a city business or vending license. Pick your state for the details.
How much does a food truck permit cost?
It depends on the state and city. State health permits range from under $100 to several hundred dollars a year (the statewide Texas Type III license is $876), and big cities often add their own vending permits. Each state page lists the published fees with sources.
How long does it take to get a food truck permit?
Plan review and inspection usually take several weeks, and some agencies publish review times. Apply well before your first event. Big-city permits can have waitlists.
How do food truck permits work?
You build or buy the truck to code, submit plans for review, pass an inspection, and get a health permit tied to the truck and usually to a commissary. Then you add the local permits for each city or event where you park.
Do food trucks need a permit to sell at a farmers market or event?
Usually the truck's mobile permit covers it in the jurisdiction that issued it, but many health departments also require a temporary event permit or event notification. Ask the event organizer which permits they collect.
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